Mechanical musical instrument



June 22 1926.

E3. VAN GOR'QER JCJHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.

lNVE/VTOH Ber/119i" V011 Gordgr WW ATTORNEY June 22 ,1926. 1,589,446

B. VAN GORDER MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 7, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEVIER VAN GORDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WEBER BROS. INC., 01'

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed January 7, 1924. Serial No. 684,717.

My invention relates generally to pneumatically operated musical instruments, such as player-pianos, organs and other musical instruments of the well-known type in which a perforated music-sheet is caused to travel over a tracker-bar formed with a series of air-ducts connected with the playing devices, and my improvements relate more particularly to attachments used in connection with the music-sheet winding and rewinding mechanism by which the in strument is operatively controlled, and es pecially with an improved alternately operating brake mechanism adapted to bear with varying pressure on the surface of the music-sheet, which mechanism is thrown into, or out of, operative position according to the direction of the travel of the musicsheet.

It is well-known that in the ordinary player during the re-wind of the musicsheet from the take-up roll, the sheet moves with great rapidity and is more or less loosely wound on the music-roll, while the 25 metal ring at the end of the music-sheet,

when disengaged from the take-up roll, rotates rapidly until the motor stops, with the likelihood. that such ring will disfigure the inner surface of the tracker-box while causing disagreeable slapping noises. Heretofore this loose winding and undesirable action of the end of the music-sheet have been prevented by placing the hand of the performer on the surface of the music-sheet as it is wound back on its music-roll; this, however. is not always convenient and moreover soon soils or otherwise injures the outside surface of the roll.

The objects of my invention are, among other things, chiefly to provide a simple, efficient and automatic mechanism controlled by the variable pressure in the action wind-chest, which mechanism will be immediately thrown into action at the beginning of the rewinding of the music-sheet and will thereafter continue in operation until after the forward end of the musicsheet has become disenga ed from the catch on the take-up roll, there y preventing undesirable slapping noises while serving to wind the music-sheet tightly on its roll or spool.

A further purpose of my invention is that such improved mechanism bearing directly on the surface of the travelling music-sheet during the re-wind will automatically be placed in inoperative position directly as the motor ends its rewind and begins the forward winding in rendering the musical composition with the vacuum pressure on the action wind-chest.

With the foregoing and other objects in new, the invention comprises the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof and the mode of operation as heremafter described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a player-piano with parts broken out and the front casing removed showing an embodiment of the invention somewhat in diagrammatic form;

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the position of the parts at the beginning of the rewind of the music-sheet on the music-roll; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 showing the pneumatic collapsed with the brake out of action during the forward travel of the sheet.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughoutthe several figures.

Referring to the drawings, more particularly Fig. 1, the player-piano which is chosen for a preferred embodiment of the invention may be of any usual construction. comprising so far as shown, the frame and supporting case 7, the tracker-box 8 with the tracker-bar 9 provided with the customary air-ducts 10 on its face. Journalled in the tracker box 8 are the take-up roll 11 and the music-roll 12, the latter carrying the music-sheet 13. Operatively connected with the take-up roll 11 and music-roll 12 is the gearing 14 driven from the motor 15 by the sprocket chain 16 in the usual manner. The gearing 14 is shifted by the rewind lever 17 for winding and rewinding the music-sheet 13 in the customary manner, except as hereinafter explained, the present improvements not directly relating with the structural details, arrangement and operation of such devices.

As shown in Fig. 1, the rewind lever 17 is connected by the link 18 to the rock-shaft 19 which actuates the rod 20 to move the clutch-shifting lever 21 by which the motor 15 is operatively connected with e1ther the take-up roll 11 or with the music-roll driver for rewinding the music-sheet 13 from the take-up roll 11 back onto the music-roll 12. The motor 15 is connected by the main windtrunk 22 with the usual pumping bellows (not shown) to create the required exhaust or vacuum pressure used as the motive power in the player-piano.-

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, I have here shown a preferred form of the automatic brake mechanism for hearing on the surface of the music-sheet 13 during the rewind: To the rear-wall 23 extending across the back of the tracker-box 8 the bracket 24; is suitably secured; in this bracket 24 the transverse bolt 25 is journalled so as to freely rock therein. Depending from the ends of bolt 25 are two spaced apart rods 26 looped at their ends to carry the laterally-extending spool 27 freely rotatable on the rods 26. Secured to the middle of the bolt 25 and extending through the opening 28 in the wall23 is the downwardly bent arm 29 adapted to be engaged by the rock-lever 30 attached to the movable leaf 31 of the pneumatic 32 secured to the back of the rear-wall 23 as shown in Fig. 3. The spring 33 secured to the leaf 31 and the body 34 of the pneumatic 32 normally tends to raise the hinged leaf 31 to its Fig. 3 position. The interior of the pneumatic 32 is con nected by the nipple 35 and tube 36 to the action windhest 37 (shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1), which wind-chest 37 is connected by tube 38 to the usual gate box on the pumping bellows (not shown), the rewind lever 17 also controlling the air or exhaust pressure in the wind-chest 37 in the usual manner through connections with the rock-shaft 19 (not shown).

lVhen the player action is rendering the musical composition by the forward travel of the music-sheet 13 over the tracker-bar 9, the leaf 31 is held in its collapsed Fig. 6 position against the tension of the spring 33 with the end of the lever 30 disengaged from the arm 29 thereby allowing the spool 27 to fall downwardly by gravity and rest against the rear wall 23 away from the music-roll 12 and in inoperative position therewith. However, when the performer shifts the rewind lever 17 in the usual manner to cut off the action wind-chest 37 from exhaust pressure while simultaneously shifting the gearing 14 to start the music roll rewind, the exhaust tension in the pneumatic 32 from the wind-chest 37 is immediately broken and the leaf 31 is forced upwardly bythe spring 33 which swings the lever 30 so that its free end moves forwardly against the arm 29 to press the brake spool 27 yield ingly against the surface of the rear end of rewind onits roll 12, all as shown in Fig. 5. As the thickness of the paper increases on the roll 12, the growing diameter of the revolving roll and music-sheet will force the spool 27 rearwardly against the force of the spring 33 which reacts in turn to cause the spool 27 to bear against the surface of the rewound music-sheet 13 with a gradually increasing pressure as such sheet is being rewound on the roll 12.

Such yielding pressure is maintained by the spool 27 bearing anti-frictionally on the surface of the sheet until the forward end of the music-sheet is disengaged from the take-up roll; such pressure likewise prevents theusual metal ring in such forward end from undesirably slapping against the tracker-box 8 as it leaves the take-up roll 11. .V hen the lever 17 is again shifted to secure the forward travel of the music-sheet 13, the exhaust pressure now produced in the wind chest 37 will collapse the pneumatic 32 against the tension of the spring 33 to its 6 position, and the braking spool 27 will instantly fall away from the musicroll 12 and rest against the rear-wall 23 of the tracker-box.

The foregoing construction shows a practical form of attachment embodying the principles of my invention, but various changes may be made in the structural details and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of my improvements and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, devices for winding and rewinding the music-sheet. and means held in inoperative position and out of contact with the sheet during the forward travel of the sheet, but automatically brought to bear on the music-sheet during the rewind. 7

2. In a mechanical musical instrument con trolled by a perforated music-sheet, devices for winding and .rewinding the music-sheet, and means held in inoperative position and out of contact with the sheet during the forward travel of the sheet, but brought by said rewinding devices to bear yieldingly on the music-sheet during the rewind.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, devices for winding and rewinding the music-sheet. and means held in inoperative position dur ing the forward travel of the sheet to bear yieldingly on the music-sheet with increasing pressure as the sheet is being rewound.

a. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, devices for winding and rewinding the music-sheet,

and means comprising an anti-frictional brake held by gravity in inoperative position the music-sheet 13 as the latter begins its and out of contact with the sheet during the llfi forward travel of the sheet. but automatically brought to bear on the music-sheet during the rewind.

5. In a mechanical musical insrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, devices for winding and rewinding the music-sheet, and means comprising an anti-frictional brake held in inoperative position during the forward travel of the sheet to bear on the muse sheet with increasing pressure as the sheet is being rewound.

6. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated nmsicsheet carried by a music-roll, devices for winding and rewinding the music-sheet, and means neld out of contact with the sheet during its forward travel by a spring-tensioned pneumatie when held collapsed but automatically brought to bear yieldingly on the musicsheet on said roll during the rewind by the spring in said pneumatic when the latter is released.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated musicsheet, the combination of a music-roll carrying said sheet, an actuating motor therefor, a wind-chest under exhaust pressure. a syn-ing-tensioned pneumatic conected with the wind-chest, a brake held out of contact with the sheet during its forward travel by said pneumatic when held collapsed from the exhaust pressure from the wind-chest, but automatically brought to bear yieldingly on the music-sheet on said roll during the rewind by the spring in said pneumatic when the latter is expanded as the exhaust pressure is cut off from said wind-chest and pneumatic.

8. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, the combination of a music-roll carrying said sheet, an actuating motortherefor, a wind-chest under exhaust pressure, a spring-tensioned pneumatic connected with the wind-chest, a brake held out of contact with the sheet during its forward travel by said pneumatic when held collapsed from the exhaust pressure from the wind-chest, but automatically brought to bear directly and yieldingly on the surface of the music-sheet on said roll during the rewind by the spring in said pneumatic when the latter is expanded as the exhaust pressure is cut off from said windchest and pneumatic.

9. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, the combination of a music-roll carrying said sheet, an actuating motor therefor a wind-chest under exhaust pressure, a spring-tensioned pneumatic connected with the wind-chest, a

rake held out of contact with the sheet duringits forward travel by said pneumatic when held collapsed from the exhaust pres sure. from the wind-chest, but automatically brought to bear yieldiugly and with gradually increasing pressure on the music-sheet on said roll during the rewind by the spring in said pneumatic when the latter is expanded as the exhaust; pressure is cut off from said wind-chest and pneumatic.

10. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, the combination of a music-roll carrying said sheet, an actuating motor therefor, a windchest under exhaust pressure, a sprin -tensioned pneumatic connected with the windchest. an anti-frictional brake held out of contact with the sheet during its forward travel by said pneumatic when held collapsed from the exhaust pressure from the windchest, but automatically brought to bear directly and yieldingly and with gradually in,- creasing pressure on the surface of the music-sheet on said roll during the rewind by the spring in said pneumatic when the latter is expanded as the exhaust pressure is cut off from said wind-chest and pneumatic.

11. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, a music-roll carrying said sheet and spring pressed means for directly applying a gradually increasing pressure to the surface of the music-sheet on said roll through increased compression of said spring means by the increasing diameter of the sheet on said roll during the rewind.

12. In a mechanical musical instrument controlled by a perforated music-sheet, a musicroll carrying said sheet and spring pressed means for directly applying a gradually increasing yielding pressure to the surface of the music-sheet on said roll through increased compression of said spring means by the increasing diameter of the sheet on said roll during the rewind.

BEVIER VAN GORDER. 

